The Audi RS6 and Mercedes R-Class are more likely to suffer suspension damage than any other cars in the UK, according to a new study by Warranty Direct.

Fiat’s six-seater Multipla and the Jaguar XK sports car are the next most vulnerable, with 29 and 28.5 percent of Warranty Direct customers claiming for damage to axle and suspension components on their cars annually.

Deteriorating, potholed roads in winter and the proliferation of speed bumps increase the likelihood of suspension damage yet further, meaning that repairs cost an average of £247 to fix.

Warranty Direct’s database of 50,000 live policies shows that the most vulnerable vehicles are up to 30 times more likely to claim for suspension damage than the most robust cars.

At the other end of the ‘risk scale’, the Citroën C1 and Peugeot 107 (ostensibly the same car) are seemingly impervious to the UK’s pothole-ridden roads. Surprisingly, the Honda S2000 sports car is also one of the most pothole-resistant vehicles.

Axle and suspension failure rates

Make

Model

Year

Percentage chance of suspension failure

Audi

RS6

(02 – 11)

38.37

Mercedes-Benz

R-Class

(06 – 13)

30.67

Fiat

Multipla

(04 – 10)

29.05

Jaguar

XK Series

(96 – 06)

28.48

Bentley

Continental GT

(03 – 11)

28.28

Mazda

5

(05 – 10)

27.17

Mercedes-Benz

CL

(00 – 07)

25.96

Chrysler

300C

(05 – 10)

25.53

Jaguar

XJ Series

(03 – 09)

24.81

Hyundai

Santa Fe

(06 – 12)

24.14

Warranty Direct managing director, David Gerrans, said: “It is almost unbelievable how much variation there is from one model to another when it comes to suspension damage.

“Any vehicle driven on damaged, poor surfaces regularly or used for commuting on routes littered with speed bumps will eventually come to grief. London is particularly bad for the latter.

“The roads are as bad as ever but some cars are affected terribly, with components like bushes, track rod ends, drop links, springs and dampers all susceptible. Instead of cheap runabouts, luxury vehicles and stiffly sprung sports cars are most prone to breakdowns – with the exception of the Honda S2000.”

Vehicles made by Honda, Isuzu and Toyota have the most robust suspension systems; less than three per cent of cars made by these manufacturers suffer failures annually. Bentley, on the other hand, performs worst; 28 per cent of its cars will suffer suspension damage in a typical year.